Eiheiji
Sōtō Zen head temple founded 1244; the 'shukubō' overnight monastic-training stay (zazen at 4am, vegan kaiseki) is a Japan classic.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Fukui 福井県
Quiet Sea-of-Japan coast prefecture with outsized cultural and industrial roots — Eiheiji Zen monastery, the country's #1 dinosaur fossil bed, the Echizen washi paper tradition, and the Sabae eyeglass-frame industry that supplies 95% of Japan's frames and ~20% of the world's.
Capital
Fukui City
Population
760,000
Area
4,191 km²
Region
Chūbu
History
Eiheiji, founded in 1244 by Dōgen, is the head temple of the Sōtō Zen school — Japan's largest Zen sect today. The mountain monastery still maintains the strictest training regime in Japanese Buddhism.
Fukui's Asuwa River basin yielded the first dinosaur fossils discovered in Japan (1989), and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is now one of the world's three largest dinosaur museums alongside Beijing and the Royal Tyrrell in Canada.
Sabae's eyeglass-frame industry was started in 1905 by a local rice farmer who recruited Osaka-trained workers to provide off-season employment; today Sabae makes ~95% of Japanese-made frames and supplies ~20% of frames worldwide.
Economy & business
Fukui's prefectural GDP is around ¥3.5 trillion (US$24 billion). Eyeglass-frame manufacturing, traditional crafts (Echizen washi paper, Echizen-yaki pottery, Wakasa-nuri lacquer), nuclear power (the Tsuruga / Mihama / Ōi cluster is Japan's densest), and high-precision textile and chemical manufacturing.
Key industries
Eyeglass frames — Sabae
~95% of Japanese frames, ~20% of all frames worldwide; Sabae also pioneered titanium frame fabrication in the 1980s.
Traditional crafts
Echizen washi (1,500-year history), Echizen-yaki ceramics, Echizen knives, Wakasa-nuri lacquerware — Fukui has more designated traditional crafts per capita than any other prefecture.
Nuclear & energy
The Tsuruga/Mihama/Ōi/Takahama cluster houses 15 of Japan's 33 commercial reactors; the prefecture is the densest nuclear-power region in Japan.
Textiles & chemicals
Synthetic textile heritage (Toyobo, Toray plants) and small-batch advanced fibers.
Tourism
Eiheiji, Tojinbo cliffs, Fukui Dinosaur Museum, Maruoka Castle, Mikuni port.
Notable companies
Boston Club (frames)CharmantSeiko Eyewear (Sabae)Echizen Washi Co-opFukui BankYorozu Corporation Fukui Plant
Trade partners
ChinaUnited StatesSouth KoreaItalyVietnam
Tourism highlights
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
Top-3 dinosaur museum in the world; 50+ full skeletons, world's largest collection of fossils from the Tetori Group.
Open in Maps ↗Tojinbo cliffs
1-km columnar-basalt sea cliffs on the Sea of Japan; one of three sites in the world with this geology (with Norway and Korea).
Open in Maps ↗Maruoka Castle
One of only 12 surviving original castle keeps in Japan; the small wooden tower dates to 1576.
Open in Maps ↗Mikuni Onsen & Awara
Sea-of-Japan onsen district with a 100-year-old wooden ryokan tradition.
Open in Maps ↗Echizen Washi villages (Imadate)
Cluster of papermaking studios; the Goka district has been making washi for over 1,500 years and a paper goddess festival every May.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Fukui's Sabae City makes roughly 95% of all Japanese-made eyeglass frames and supplies about 20% of frames sold worldwide; the titanium frame as a category was pioneered here in the 1980s.
Japan's first verified dinosaur fossils were found in Fukui in 1989; the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum opened in 2000 and is now ranked alongside Beijing and Canada's Royal Tyrrell as one of the world's top three.
Fukui has been ranked #1 in 'Japanese Prefectural Happiness Rankings' multiple years running — credited variously to low unemployment, strong family/elderly co-residence, and abundant natural environment.
About Fukui — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Fukui?
The capital of Fukui is Fukui City.
What region of Japan is Fukui in?
Fukui is part of the Chūbu region of Japan.
What are Fukui's main industries?
Fukui's key industries include Eyeglass frames — Sabae, Traditional crafts, Nuclear & energy, Textiles & chemicals.
What are the top tourist attractions in Fukui?
Top attractions in Fukui include Eiheiji, Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Tojinbo cliffs, Maruoka Castle.
What major companies are based in Fukui?
Notable companies headquartered in Fukui include Boston Club (frames), Charmant, Seiko Eyewear (Sabae), Echizen Washi Co-op, Fukui Bank.
Map
Scroll to zoom, drag to pan, tap a prefecture to open its chapter.